NAR Fair Housing (Commercial)

2-Hour Online Continuing Education Course | ExceedCE
Instructor: Patricia Lynn, CCIM, CDEI

COURSE OVERVIEW

This course prepares commercial and multifamily real estate professionals to operate ethically and compliantly under fair housing law by connecting the historical roots of housing discrimination to today's leasing, marketing, screening, and client-interaction practices. Through ten chapters, interactive activities, videos, and case studies with a commercial focus, learners will build practical habits that reduce legal risk and promote equitable treatment of all clients and tenants.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Upon completing this course, students will be able to:

- Explain why fair housing laws were necessary by understanding the history of housing discrimination and its lasting economic and demographic impact
- Identify federal laws that prohibit housing discrimination and the actions they require or forbid in commercial real estate practice
- Recognize the seven federally protected classes under the Fair Housing Act
- Distinguish state and local protections that may exceed federal requirements
- Define steering and apply strategies to avoid it
- Describe reasonable accommodations and modifications for people with disabilities as required by law
- Apply best practices for fair housing-compliant marketing and advertising
- Direct clients and tenants to appropriate fair housing resources and assistance
- Recognize the risks of stereotype-driven assumptions and support consumer self-determination in community selection
- Use practical interventions to interrupt implicit bias in day-to-day decision-making

COURSE FORMAT

Fully online | Self-paced | 2 Credit Hours
Includes videos, interactive activities, chapter quizzes, and case studies

SYLLABUS

Chapter 1: History of Discrimination and Its Lasting Impact
Examines the government-sanctioned and private discriminatory practices — including racial zoning ordinances, redlining by the HOLC and FHA, racially restrictive covenants, and mid-century urban renewal displacement — that shaped American housing markets. Explores how these historical policies continue to influence cap rates, valuation gaps, tenant income disparities, and multifamily stock distribution in commercial real estate today.

Chapter 2: Fair Housing Laws — Legal Foundations for Commercial Real Estate
Provides a detailed review of the key federal statutes governing fair housing in commercial contexts: the Fair Housing Act of 1968, the Civil Rights Act of 1866, Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Clarifies where and how these laws apply to multifamily, mixed-use, and housing-adjacent commercial transactions.

Chapter 3: Understanding Federally Protected Classes
Covers the seven protected classes under the Fair Housing Act — race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation per HUD guidance), familial status, and disability — with specific application to multifamily leasing, tenant screening, and property management.

Chapter 4: State and Local Fair Housing Protections
Explores how state and local jurisdictions expand upon federal protections, adding additional protected classes and obligations for commercial real estate professionals. Emphasizes the importance of knowing and complying with the rules of the jurisdiction in which you practice.

Chapter 5: Understanding and Preventing Steering
Defines steering — the practice of directing clients toward or away from properties based on protected characteristics — and distinguishes it from lawful guidance. Presents concrete strategies for ensuring clients are shown properties based on their stated preferences and objective criteria alone.

Chapter 6: Disability Rights — Accommodations and Modifications in Multifamily Housing
Examines the legal requirements for reasonable accommodations (changes to rules, policies, or practices) and reasonable modifications (physical changes to the property) for tenants with disabilities. Covers how to evaluate requests, what can and cannot be required of tenants, and common compliance pitfalls in multifamily settings.

Chapter 7: Fair Housing Marketing Best Practices
Reviews compliant advertising language, imagery, and targeting practices across print, digital, and social media channels. Addresses the risks of human models, neighborhood descriptions, and algorithmic ad targeting, and provides guidance for creating inclusive marketing materials.

Chapter 8: Fair Housing Resources for Professionals and Clients
Identifies the government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and NAR resources available to assist real estate professionals and their clients with fair housing questions, complaints, and education. Covers how to direct clients to the right resources when discrimination concerns arise.

Chapter 9: Avoiding Stereotypes — Letting Consumers Choose Their Community
Examines how assumptions based on racial, ethnic, religious, or other stereotypes can influence professional recommendations and violate fair housing law. Reinforces the principle that consumers have the right to choose where they live based on their own criteria, without interference rooted in a professional's assumptions.

Chapter 10: Addressing Implicit Bias in Commercial Real Estate
Introduces the concept of implicit (unconscious) bias and its documented influence on leasing decisions, tenant screening, and client interactions. Presents research-backed interventions and daily habits to interrupt biased decision-making and ensure all clients and prospects are treated with equal concern, respect, and fairness.